“[Det. Daniel] Herzog told me to move in. I was to arrest him at that point,” Frascatore testified at his administrative trial at One Police Plaza. “I was running to get across the street as quickly as possible for the element of surprise. Dealing with a felon who is possibly armed, my goal is to apprehend the subject as quickly as possible. That’s the element of surprise.”

Frascatore, 40, is accused of roughing up Blake, who was staying at the hotel to attend the US Open, and detaining him for about 15 minutes before letting him go.

The real suspect was arrested inside the hotel minutes later.

Blake said at no point did Frascatore or the other four or five cops involved identified themselves as police.

But Frascatore said identifying himself as a cop wasn’t “necessary” at the time.

“I wanted to get control of the subject first,” he explained. “I was concerned about getting into an altercation in front of all that glass. My safety, his safety. Possibly going through that glass. Another concern I had was a foot pursuit on 42nd Street with all that vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”

After tackling Blake to the sidewalk and cuffing him, Frascatore maintained that he told him he was a cop.

“He stated he was confused and didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “I told him ‘I’m a police officer. Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands.’”

“This officer shouldn’t have a job,” he told reporters outside police headquarters. “He doesn’t have the temperament for it, he doesn’t have the capabilities to serve our community in a positive way, to make me or anyone in the community feel safer… causing more harm than he is doing good.”

“[Det. Daniel] Herzog told me to move in. I was to arrest him at that point,” Frascatore testified at his administrative trial at One Police Plaza. “I was running to get across the street as quickly as possible for the element of surprise. Dealing with a felon who is possibly armed, my goal is to apprehend the subject as quickly as possible. That’s the element of surprise.”

Frascatore, 40, is accused of roughing up Blake, who was staying at the hotel to attend the US Open, and detaining him for about 15 minutes before letting him go.

The real suspect was arrested inside the hotel minutes later.

Blake said at no point did Frascatore or the other four or five cops involved identified themselves as police.

But Frascatore said identifying himself as a cop wasn’t “necessary” at the time.

“I wanted to get control of the subject first,” he explained. “I was concerned about getting into an altercation in front of all that glass. My safety, his safety. Possibly going through that glass. Another concern I had was a foot pursuit on 42nd Street with all that vehicular and pedestrian traffic.”

After tackling Blake to the sidewalk and cuffing him, Frascatore maintained that he told him he was a cop.

“He stated he was confused and didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “I told him ‘I’m a police officer. Don’t worry, you’re in safe hands.’”

“This officer shouldn’t have a job,” he told reporters outside police headquarters. “He doesn’t have the temperament for it, he doesn’t have the capabilities to serve our community in a positive way, to make me or anyone in the community feel safer… causing more harm than he is doing good.”